Our staff work tirelessly to put patients first and provide the very best possible care, and we want them to feel safe and supported when they come to work.

As part of Operation Cavell, we have joined forces with the Metropolitan Police in Lambeth and Southwark to tackle violence and anti-social behaviour against our staff. This marks the next phase of the 'Keep our staff safe' campaign, which saw the roll out of body worn cameras for our security staff in 2018.

In this month’s e-GiST, find out about a series of films that have been created for our patients who are living with chronic kidney disease, and read about Evelina London’s new Snow Fox ward which has been designed specifically for children who need planned care.

Amanda PritchardChief Executive

What's new?

Tackling violence and aggression

Guy’s and St Thomas’ have joined forces with the Metropolitan Police for Operation Cavell. The new initiative will encourage more staff to report violent and abusive behaviour by patients and visitors.

The Trust revealed there had been 219 physical assaults on nurses and other frontline staff from April to September 2018.

Operation Cavell marks the next phase of the 'Keep our staff safe' campaign. This has seen Guy’s and St Thomas’ roll out body worn cameras for security staff to deter and prosecute offenders.

Sleep lessons for schools

Sleep experts from Evelina London have designed lesson plans for schools to help tackle sleep problems among young people.

The new resources have been developed jointly by the hospital’s department of children’s sleep medicine and the PSHE Association, a membership body for teachers.

Dr Charlie Tyack, clinical psychologist at Evelina London, says: “These lessons help young people to think realistically about how to give themselves the best chances of getting the sleep they need to reach their full potential.”

New films for kidney patients

A series of films has been specially created for Guy’s and St Thomas’ to help people living with chronic kidney disease manage their condition.

The four videos explore the different treatments available so that patients can make informed decisions about their care.

Amaka Ejibe opted for home peritoneal dialysis and appears in one of the films. Amaka says: “I wanted to take part to try and help others who are on the same journey as me.”

Meet the Snow Fox

A new unit designed specifically for children who need planned care has opened at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Snow Fox ward has 19 new spaces for children who need planned care, such as minor surgical procedures and scans. Fun, brightly coloured artwork is displayed throughout the ward, including snow foxes for children to find.

Debbie Komaromy, head of nursing at Evelina London, says: “The new ward was designed specifically with the needs of our young patients in mind.”

Guy’s Cancer Academy launches

World Cancer Day saw the launch of Guy’s Cancer Academy, a new education and training opportunity for staff across King’s Health Partners.

Funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, the Academy supports the Guy’s Cancer vision of being a world-leader in cancer care – with confident and committed staff being key to achieving this goal.

The launch is just the start of a five-year plan to grow a comprehensive cancer care education, training and development platform.

New Crohn's treatment shows promise

A new treatment for Crohn's disease using patients’ own modified cells has been proven to be effective in human cell experiments. The treatment was developed and tested by scientists at our NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.

Rachel Sawyer, 50, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2000 and treated at Guy's and St Thomas'. She says: "Anything that could help people with Crohn's have the confidence to go out and get back to being the people they were destined to be would be a game-changer."

A clinical trial of the treatment is expected to start in the next six months.

Support us

Take on Challenge 150

Help Evelina London celebrate its 150th birthday by taking part in Challenge 150.

Hold an event, get sponsored and get active, or get your work place or school involved. The options are endless!

If you take on a birthday challenge in 2019 and raise £150 or more, you’ll receive a special Evelina London display cheque as a memento of your contribution.

Showing we care

With support from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, the Trust runs 'Showing we care about you' for more than 16,000 staff.

This is one of the most ambitious programme of benefits for healthcare staff in the NHS – from services to give up smoking to financial advice.

Most patients who completed the Friends and Family Test questionnaire in December recommend the care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to their loved ones:

97% of inpatients and day case/surgery patients

90% of women receiving maternity care

98% of patients using our community services

91% of outpatients

88% of A&E patients

95% of patients using our transport service

National maternity survey

Maternity care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the best in London, according to the recent Care Quality Commission’s National Maternity Survey.

The Trust scored well in a number of key categories. These related to communication, treating women with respect and dignity during labour and birth, and cleanliness of the unit.

Maxine Spencer, Director of Midwifery, says: “Whilst we are very pleased with the positive improvements, we recognise that there is still work to do and are developing an action plan in response to what women have told us.”

In the news

Saved by a stranger

The Mirror reported that Kayleigh Wakeling gave stranger, Louise Sach, her kidney after reading her plea on Facebook.

The pair first met when Kayleigh went to Guy’s and St Thomas’ for preliminary tests in February last year. Two weeks later, Kayleigh found she was a match, and in June, the two had their transplant operation at Guy’s Hospital.

Kayleigh says: “I could see Louise looking better all the time, her skin tone changed colour. I was in pain from the surgery but seeing that every day she was getting better was the best feeling.”

Artificial intelligence shows potential

Researchers have created an artificial intelligence (AI) system that could see the processing time for abnormal chest X-rays dramatically reduced.

The study claims the system could help cut the average delay in receiving an expert opinion from 11 days to less than three.

A sign of support

The BMJ included an opinion piece by Dr Michael Farquhar, consultant in sleep medicine at Evelina London. He says NHS staff are in a perfect position to be advocates for LGBT+ people when they most need it.

Dr Farquhar spoke about the Evelina London Children’s Hospital Rainbow NHS Badge project, which was funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. The badge is an NHS logo superimposed on the rainbow pride flag, worn on NHS staff lanyards or uniforms.

It’s intended to send a strong message: 'you can talk to me', without fear of judgment or discrimination, about sexuality or gender identity. The badges reinforce that our hospital is a place of inclusion.

Key dates

6 February - 17 March VAULT Festival

Guy’s and St Thomas’ has joined forces with VAULT Festival – London’s biggest, boldest and bravest arts and entertainment festival.

Together, they hope to open up conversations around death, dying and grief by curating a programme of shows based around the subject called ‘Let’s Talk @ VAULT Festival’.